High-tech gardening tools for your modern green thumb needs

Growing up, gardening with my mom was always a fun activity. I grew up and (sort of) inherited this green thumb, as evidenced by a tiny succulent garden we own and tend to.

I remember spending afternoons outdoors digging around in the dirt, watering plants, and patiently waiting for seedlings to grow. Gardening these days though is a lot fancier than it was during those years back. I looked at tools and apps to get your greens growing and girl, there are a lot of high-tech, modern stuff out there to get your garden going. I’ve rounded up a few that will help you get to your gardening goals:

An app to identify flora

I discovered that apps like this existed from my mom. She’d walk around unfamiliar gardens or plant stores, take a photo, and identify the particular plant she wanted for her own garden. Picture This – Plant Identifier not only gives you info on each plant, it also connects you to a growing community of plant-lovers worldwide.

Organize your garden with some taps on your phone

Plot your whole garden — the different areas, all the types of plants, details on growth, and even progress photos — in one app. Gardenize is a space that allows you to follow every detail of your plant progress. You can even share your progress and follow other garden friends on this app for more green thumb inspiration!

Track sunlight for the happiest, healthiest plants

We all know that most plants need sun to thrive, but did you know that different plants also have different lighting needs? Apps like these allow you to track sunlight so that all your plants get just the right amount.

When in doubt, track your plant progress

This Xiaomi 4-in-1 Plant Flower Care Smart Monitor is pretty easy to use: Just stick it in your flower pot, connect to your phone, and you get info on sunlight, temperature, moisture, and soil fertility. (Get it here.)

The Parrot Flower Power Smart Plant Sensor also works the same way and measures your plant’s health in real time. (Get it here.)

If you want something even more intrusive, the Xiaomi Ropot is literally a pot with built-in Bluetooth that allows you to track your plant’s statistics. (Get it here.)

Take it a step further with self-watering devices

If monitoring isn’t enough for you, don’t fret. This device takes it a step further by even watering your plants when need be. Check out the AquaMose Smart Watering System on Kickstarter here.

The Parrot Pot is also a smart pot that waters your plant for up to a month. Read more about it here.

Go all out with eco-friendly gardening

And if going green full on is your thing, you might want to consider using Alphapot planters which are 100 percent environment-friendly. Check out the Kickstarter here.

Go to the next level with indoor gardening

Plants can also be grown indoors these days — all thanks to grow lamps that can simulate much-needed light. There are many on sale at pretty reasonable prices such as this LED Grow Lamp. Find it here.

If you want to go all in with indoor gardening, pots like the Flora Intelligent 4 in 1 Flower Pot not only monitors your plant, it waters and provides needed light, too. All that’s left for you to do, basically, is watch it grow. Get it here.

Even IKEA sells Cultivation Sets that allow you to grow fresh herbs and greens indoors all year round. You can check them out here.

For those who want an even more fuss-free experience, Click and Grow is a ready-to-go planter that simplifies the whole process. Learn more here.

These new Ikea curtains fight indoor pollution by filtering air

Ikea has just announced groundbreaking technology that will not only add to your home decorating or homemaking ventures, as the brand has been apt to do; it will also help keep your living space cleaner by purifying indoor air.

This is Ikea’s Gunrid curtain and it works just like a plant: It breaks down harmful pollutants when it gets in contact with light. The fabric itself has undergone “mineral-based surface treatment” which enables it to destroy common indoor air pollutants like formaldehyde and odor. And since the tech is in the fabric, future products aren’t, in theory, limited to just curtains.

Unknown to most, indoor air pollution is a big deal with some living spaces found to have conditions five times worse than other parts of the world and a higher death toll than outdoor pollution. Mauricio Affonso, Product Developer at Ikea Range & Supply says, “We are creating an affordable and space-saving air purifying solution that also makes the home more beautiful.”

Samsung announces new generation of wearables

Aside from the numerous Samsung flagships announced at Unpacked in San Francisco, there were also a number of wearables announced: The Galaxy Watch Active, Galaxy Fit, Galaxy Fit e, and the Galaxy Buds.

The Galaxy Watch Active is the sporty version of Samsung’s Galaxy Watch but without the iconic spinning bezel. It’s equipped with stress, fitness, and sleep tracking, plus GPS, NFC, Wi-Fi, and Bluetooth capabilities. Of course, it also has Bixby built in.

The watch also has wireless charging capabilities which will work well with the PowerShare-capable Galaxy S10. It runs on an Exynos 9110 processor and a 230mAh battery. It’ll come in four pretty colors: rose gold, sea green, black, and silver. It’ll be available on March 8 in the US for US$ 200.

The Galaxy Fit and Fit e are slim fitness wearables that will automatically track your activities. Equipped with a heart rate monitor and a 0.95-inch AMOLED display, this water-resistant baby is perfect for those who want something less obtrusive. They’ll be available in the second quarter of 2019.

Last but not least: The Galaxy Buds. Powered by AKG, you’re ensured a great listening experience. It boasts six hours of battery life for streaming and five hours on calls, with an additional seven hours with its charging case. That same case gives 1.7 hours of power on a 15-minute charge. Of course, it also has wireless charging.

These Buds are available starting March 8 and they’ll retail for US$ 129. It comes in three colors: black, white, and a fun yellow.